Director Rohit Shetty has had a series of smash-hit films, but is happy to share the credit with his stars and behind-the-scenes team

Shah Rukh Khan's latest release, Chennai Express, has created Bollywood history by being the quickest to have crossed the Rs 100-crore mark.

The Eid release raked in the moolah in just three days over its opening weekend.

While Shah Rukh and his heroine Deepika Padukone have been primarily credited for the bumper response, the focus is also on director Rohit Shetty, who has made a habit of churning out Rs 100-crore blockbusters.

This is Rohit's fourth consecutive film to have crossed the magic figure after Golmaal 3, Singham and Bol Bachchan. Indeed, he has established himself as the uncrowned king of Bollywood's Rs 100-crore club.

A wide release across over 3,500 screens in India and 700 screens in the overseas market besides all-out paid preview shows on Thursday have contributed the film's reaching the Rs 100-crore mark so quickly.

Thursday's paid previews accounted for a huge collection of Rs 6.75 crore while the collection on Friday was Rs 33.12 crore in the domestic market. Saturday saw earnings of Rs 28.05 crore and the film collected Rs 32.50 crore on Sunday. In all, it adds up to Rs 100.42 crore.

Rohit, who had complained of "living with the pressure of Rs 100-crore", can now breathe easy. Chennai Express, made on a budget of Rs 70 crore, has done remarkable business and will definitely be among this year's biggest grossers. It may also go on to be among the biggest all-time Bollywood blockbusters.

With the success of his fourth consecutive release, Rohit is being compared to Manmohan Desai who ruled the box office in in the Seventies and the Eighties.

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Rohit Shetty is being compared to Manmohan Desai, pictured, who ruled the box office in the Seventies and Eighties

"The importance of both Rohit Shetty and Manmohan Desai lies in the fact that their films are for the masses. These films might not have critical appeal but the audience enjoys the masala entertainment and it is high on the fun element," said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

"The deadly combination of Shah Rukh, Deepika and Rohit and UTV productions worked for the film. The film was released on an extended weekend, and the mandate of the masses helped in making the big money," Adarsh added.

Extensive marketing and promotion by Shah Rukh is seen as an important reason for the mega response at the box office. The fact that Chennai Express is the first commercial biggie to release in months has also helped the film.

Despite recovering from shoulder surgery, Shah Rukh aggressively promoted the film and was practically everywhere, participating in promotional events, making appearances in TV shows, touring cities in India and abroad to connect with his fan base.

The rapid pace at which Chennai Express has scaled the Rs 100-crore mark is a positive sign. The film, after all, will primarily bank on its first week to reach the blockbuster status, considering the Akshay Kumar-Sonakshi Sinha starrer Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobaara! is set to release in the Independence Day weekend.